This invention relates to a means for adjusting the height of one or more rollers of an in line skate.
At the present time recreational in line skates are available which have a boot section adapted to fit over the foot of a user and rollers attached to the boot section. The rollers are aligned in one row rather than two rows as has been the roller arrangement for roller skates. The use of in line skates is able to achieve speeds in excess of about 30 miles per hour on a flat surface which speeds are much faster than can be achieved by the user with a conventional (or non-tandem wheeled) roller skates. These high speeds are achieved when the axles supporting the rollers are positioned at the same height so that all rollers contact the ground. In an alternative mode of use, one or more internal rollers in the line of rollers are lowered by lowering the axles for the rollers. When the rollers are in this position, the skater is able to execute quick turns to quickly change the direction of his movement.
At the present time a height adjustment mechanism is provided for roller axles for in line skates which is secured to a bracket for the roller axles, which, in turn, is secured to the boot section of the in line skate. The mechanism comprises a fixed bushing having a non-circular shape which fits into a mating hole extending through the bracket. The fixed bushing has an ellipsoidal boss which is inserted through the bracket. The fixed bushing has a hole extending through it which accomodates an axle for the roller. The fixed bushing can be removed by hand from the bracket, rotated to a second position and reinserted into the bracket hole in order to fix it within the bracket in this second position. When in the second position, the axle hole through the bushing is positioned at a different height than the height of the axle in its original position. By operating in this manner, it is possible to adjust the height of the roller axles and the roller. This axle height adjustment system is undesirable since it requires the skater to remove the wheel and axle from the skate in order to reposition the stationery bushing. This procedure is time consuming and requires the use of special tools. In addition, the separated parts are small and can be easily lost.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a means for adjusting the height of roller axles for in line skates which can be practiced quickly by hand without the need for disassembling any part of the skate and without the need for special tools.